Hope On A Brighter Tomorrow
by kivey
Summary: Difficulty and hardship are the names of the game as a Half-blood, and in recent years no one has had as much of those two than he has. His will pushes him forwards, into a future uncertain.


**Prologue: Not Everything Is Alright In The End**

**Percy's POV**

It was in a fairly darkened night that he sat inside his cabin his body tense as he left the dark dreams behind him, the memories of that nightmarish hellscape that was Tartarus, and the consequences of the people they had faced. The true consequence of his ability to piss people off, his hand absentmindedly twirled his pen in the silence of his cabin and he could feel his fingers tightening together against the fake plastic, the pen itself would never break but his hand seemed to true and test the limits. He stopped spinning the pen before letting it rest in his hands the small object holding all his attention in the night the anger and rage that he buried inside himself flaring for a single moment before he pushed it back his hands closing over the pen squeezing with a grip capable of killing most men. He slipped the small pen inside his pocket as he thought over the short moment in between breaks in his nightmares, just after he had woken for a few scant moments and had chosen to see about receiving a task.

The pleading voice, soft and young in the darkness had asked him for just another night, to meet it by the entrance to Camp Half-Blood, under the cover of Thalia's tree. He was uneasy about the request, Peleus still guarded the tree, and it was likely the Dragon would reside there for the future of the camp itself, while the dragon itself wasn't so scary, it was the risk of the dragon warning the camp that he was there. He had mostly kept his distance from most, separating himself from most of the activities in the day. He still had a few minutes to make up his mind on the decision of listening to the voice, it had seemed so concerned and earnest about seeing him before he made a choice, and he couldn't find it in himself to ignore it, as much as his trip in Tartarus had changed him, he still held a small soft spot for those who sounded in need or truly concerned. He sighed softly as he hefted himself up and slowly slipped out of the cabin and quietly made his way down the row of cabins towards the path that would take him closer to the tree.

The walk itself was uneventful and he was thankful that Artemis and her Hunters weren't in the camp, as much as he did miss Thalia the girls still posted guards for their cabin and he didn't fancy a meeting in the middle of the night with several jumpy and on edge Hunters. Aside from that group, in particular, everyone was comfortable in the camp itself to trust the defenses and didn't bother with sentries. He smiled just slightly as he felt the landscape shift slightly telling him he was now walking uphill and he glanced up seeing a sight he never thought would have existed. Thalia's tree was still standing, as strong as ever, the fleece hung from its branches and glittered in the soft moonlight, but Peleus was nowhere to be found, the massive hulking beast was simply gone, and from the way the ground looked he seemed to have never been there in the first place. He stopped at the edge of where the large dragon usually sat and kneeled to let his hand run over the grass seeing it standing tall and healthy.

"Is it so odd not to see him here?" A soft voice asked, the young age to it made his body relax after it tensed on reflex. He had nearly turned with his sword in hand and attacked based on instinct, an instinct honed through time in Tartarus.

"It is a new thing for me." He said cautiously as the small form sat in the darkness of the tree itself.

"I suppose it would be a small bit surprising." The voice said a small hint of amusement in their voice.

"Who are you, why am I here." He asked softly getting silence for a moment.

"I was hoping you would remember me, Perseus Jackson, I had thought we had become friends." The voice said softly sounding slightly sad as the figure moved into the moonlight.

"Aunt Hestia! I am sorry I didn't recognize you." He said getting a small soft smile as the young girl walked closer letting a hand rest on his for a moment.

"It is fine, I did hide rather well, and I didn't reveal myself to you in your dream." Hestia said as she sat at the base of the tree.

"So why did you call me here. You must have a reason for asking me to wait on my choice." He said slowly as he took a seat next to the eight-year-old goddess.

"I wanted to stop you from making a risky choice, and choice I know my family would abuse." Hestia said sadly making him blink in surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked a little curious.

"Percy, You were going to the gods to ask for a task to do, something to take your attention away from your days here, you know how easily my brothers would have used that. As would the others, even though you hold much respect there are still ancient grudges that they would use you to atone for, even your father isn't above that." Hestia said making him sit back in surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked getting a sad smile in response.

"Your father would no doubt happily give you a task, he would do so because he does love you, but any other task you would be offered by those around you is likely to be veiled attempts at using you to interfere in the lives of others." Hestia said making him sigh and grip the grass tightly.

"Then what can I do?" He asked relaxing as a hand softly landed on his in comfort.

"I can help you, I can give you a task, something that wouldn't turn you against yourself." Hestia said making him glance over in surprise.

"What do you mean?" He asked getting a small sigh.

"Something is happening, I have felt through my powers of the Hearth that families are breaking, homes aren't offering warmth or happiness to many anymore, and I am concerned that there are those being harmed in their homes." Hestia said making him stiffen in surprise.

"What can I do?" He asked quickly getting a bright smile and the sight of the glowing flames that were the girl's eyes growing in brightness made a small smile break out on his face as well.

"You do know what you are asking right? To take this task?" Hestia asked making him stare into the girl's eyes searching for a moment before shrugging and smiling.

"Does it really matter, if you and the rest of the Olympians didn't have anything for me I would have likely wandered around. Besides I am always willing to help family." He said getting a tight hug and he softly patted the eight-year-old back in surprise as the girl clung to him in a grip that impressed him.

"Thank you, for the longest time I had worried nothing would be done about this." Hestia said making him sigh.

"So what would you need me to do?" He asked getting a small smile.

"Wander, I will occasionally provide you with places to go to check out, homes I believe aren't safe for young children inside." Hestia said making him nod slowly.

"I can do that." He said making to stand up only to be held down.

"Now did you honestly think I would leave you so unprepared for this task?" Hestia asked making him chuckle sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"A little bit, to be honest, most tasks I took kind of relied on my own luck and equipment." He said tensing slightly.

"I would never let you leave so empty-handed, I wouldn't forsake my Champion like that." Hestia said making him turn with a confused look.

"Champion?" He asked getting a slight flush from the girl.

"I am sorry, I have never taken a true Champion before, you are the only one I believe fitting of the title." Hestia said softly making him nod slowly.

"What does being a champion mean?" He asked getting a small sigh.

"To be my champion means you are chosen by me, you will be blessed with my domains, you will be gifted powers tied to mine, you will be in the service of myself and I will provide for you like a parent would their child I suppose." Hestia said fumbling a bit at the end making him smile slightly.

"So I am in service to you?" He asked getting a short nod.

"Any tasks I would provide to you like the one you are currently heading on, they are things you would have to do for me in the mortal world." Hestia explained slowly making him nod.

"For the most part, I am free to do what I wish correct?" He asked getting a short nod.

"At the moment I don't have anywhere I want you to check in on, but I may have some soon depending on where you go." Hestia said softly making him smile.

"Why do you want me to check on these places. What do you see?" He asked getting her to look away slightly.

"I have gotten flashes through the Hearth of children having an unhappy life, of a home that's hearth is cold, places where unspeakable things happen. Everything that goes against my domain." Hestia said making his jaw clench slightly as he could imagine some of the things she only lightly touched on.

"Alright so how do we do this?" He asked getting a bright smile of gratitude.

"Take my hand, and be calm, you will feel some slight disorientation, that is the new domains you will have a connection to taking hold in you." Hestia said softly as she laid her hand in his the feeling of power flowing into her hand pooling into a soft light is the first thing that came to him.

The pain that followed was only blinded out by the bright flash that lit up the night sky for just a few moments. A sudden feeling of information rushing through his mind caught him off guard as he fell on his back and he could faintly feel the large fire in the amphitheater burning softly as well as several other concentrations of power connected to the Domain of the Hearth. Mainly those of the cabins nearby and he gasped as knowledge came to him about very basic things of the cabins, who resided inside, the relationship with them all, but it faded away quickly. He coughed slightly as he felt a soft wetness on his shirt and lowered his hand to it feeling to wetness and moved his hand only to have it brush against a soft head of hair.

"I apologize, Percy, I seem to have made a mistake." Hestia said slightly afraid of his reaction.

"Hestia, what happened?" He asked softly getting her to sit up quickly and glance down at the ground.

"I focused to much power in the exchange, needless to say, you are more than a simple champion, now at least." Hestia said making him grow slightly confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked getting a small giggle before she sighed.

"There are multiple types of Champions, there is what is called a Guardian, they are basic Champions they get a blessing a slight boost in power as well as a few domains, they generally fall under their Patrons service as well as their Godly parents. Then comes the Marked Champion, those are a person selected at birth to be placed in service of those who mark them, seeing something in them from birth that they approve of, they are essentially adopted children under that God or Goddess. Then there are what's called Eternal Champions, they haven't existed for thousands of years, they are chosen beings who are provided the powers of their patron, all the active powers, at the cost of their mortality, they exist as immortal beings, much like Artemis' Hunters they can fall in battle, but will never age or die of natural causes, this is to allow them to continue to serve their patron." Hestia explained making him nod slowly.

"I am sorry Percy." Hestia said after a moment of silence making him blink in surprise before his eyes softened at the upset child form she wore.

"I am an Eternal Champion, aren't I?" He asked getting a short head nod. He slowly wrapped his arms around the goddess and rubbing the shaking girls back softly.

"It's alright Hestia, you didn't mean to, and besides this might make my job easier now." He joked lightly getting her to pull away.

"But I took away your chance, the only one you had." Hestia said making him sigh and nod.

"It's not your fault, you've never done this before, and I don't believe it is reversible. I'll just try and have to make the best of it." he said with a small grin.

"Besides I can think of worse things than being stuck eternally seventeen, like being stuck eternally seventy-six." he said getting a small giggle.

"I suppose that is true." Hestia said before calming down and standing quickly.

"I should probably leave soon, morning will be coming soon." He said getting a sad smile.

"You don't wish to say goodbye?" Hestia asked making him tense again.

"Nah, I think they will figure it out, besides the sooner I start, the sooner I can help fix whatever is wrong." He said getting a small nod.

He saw a slight flash from behind him and turned to see the woman grown up and in her older appearance, the sight of the twenty to thirty-year-old woman surprised him.

"If you should ever need me, Percy, you can simply call, I will be there." Hestia said making him nod before he bowed slightly.

"Of course Lady Hestia." He said smiling slightly at her bemused look and quickly left the camp to get started on his new self appointed quest.

* * *

**A/N: A small little note for those curious about other works. as well as this one itself, I will be posting this story and possibly the first chapter after this prologue. After that, I will be missing for a little bit. I am currently 24 years old and am leaving for Army Basic training in 1 day. For those next 10 weeks, I won't have any access to my computer, and for my AIT (The Job School) I will most likely not be on much at all due to having to focus on my studies. Afterwards, it will depend on if I am deploying overseas or not. I hope to get back on here and write more an update once I am free to do so, but For the moment it looks like I wont be around for a while.**


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